Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY: TROPICAL FREEZE

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the most recent game to come out in the series, the sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns, and considered by many to be one of the finest 2D platformers ever made. Much as I said with the New Super Mario Bros. U post, I will only be covering the original version of the game and not later editions as those will be covered in their own group. So, sadly, nothing of Funky's playable appearance. (Don't worrry, he's done plenty already to land him a spot).

Tropical Freeze follows Donkey, Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky as their island is invaded by a horde of viking raiders with ice powers led by the evil Lord Fredrik. You mainly play as Donkey, with the other three acting almost more as power-ups than secondary characters, at least in single-player mode. They can do most of the basic Donkey Kong mechanics, running, jumping, ground pounding, using barrels, climbing and swinging, and so on. It's mostly a continuation of the mechanics from the previous game. Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky each add a new ability to the mix, with Diddy using his rocketbarrel pack, Dixie using her ponytail to flick enemies and spin it like a helicopter, and Cranky using his cane to bounce like a pogo stick. They all also have popguns that shoot peanuts, bubble gum, and . . . Cranky's dentures respectively.

Funky takes over Cranky's role as the shop owner for this game, while the Tutorial Pig returns in his same basic function. Rambi returns, charging as he always does, and Squawks will fly around and alert you of items.

Lord Fredrik is the leader of the Snowmads and the final boss of the game. He is very clearly supposed to be a spiritual successor to King K. Rool as he inherits many of the character quirks and appeal of his predecessor. Fredrik is a member of the Walrus subspecies of Snowmad, thus most anything they can do can also be applied to him as well. In the opening cutscene, he blows a giant horn that summons an ice dragon capable of freezing their whole island (final smaaaaash!!), and during his boss battle, he will jump and charge around, and use his horn to blow out more dragons, spike balls, and various enemies onto the field.

The Snowmads, much like the Kremlings, come in multiple varieties and species, the main subgroups being Tucks, Fluffs, Hootzes, and Waldoughs (Penguins, Rabbits, Owls, and Walruses respectively). Tucks, the penguins, walk around, charge, wear helmets, wear spiky helmets, carry shields, use a bow and arrow to shoot fish or fire, throw a giant melon bomb, use a fishbone spear to jab you, fly, bounce on springs, use a horn to blow fish out of it, and even drive a giant mech to attack you with. Huh, I see we have at least one volunteer for this round's surprise inclusion. Hmm. Welcome aboard, I guess.

Fluffs, the rabbits, can jump, wear helmets, create ice waves, and throw the same bombs. I guess they weren't as eager to get in. Hootzes, the owls, fly, light on fire, and sometimes wear helmets. Also not as eager. And Waldoughs, the walruses (and also the same species as Lord Fredrik), walks around, wears a helmet, uses a shield, tosses chum at you, fires a snowball cannon at you, and attacks you with a spear tipped with spiky pufferfish. Again, same species as Fredrik, so I suppose already in. Neat.

Finally, the Snowmads also include a handful of bosses, including: Pompy the Presumptuous, a seal who will slide and roll around on his belly and throw fish; Skowl the Startling, a giant owl who with fly around, using feathery darts, eggs, and ice balls as projectiles and whipping up some serious wind; Baboom the Boisterous, a trio of baboons who will throw bombs, swing on ropes, and roll around; Fugu the Frightening, a pufferfish who will inflate himself, roll around, and spit out smaller fish; and Bashmaster the Unbreakable, a polar bear with a giant hammer who will slam it down, create ice waves, jump around, and send ice blocks sliding along the stage.

We do have a scattering of other enemies to consider, including: Finley and Gordo, fish; Snaggles, the shark; Dozy, a basic bird; Mimics, who pretend to be bushes; Monocle Monica, a dragonfly; Punchy Paddy, a jumping grasshopper; Thug Slug, a slug; Wild Wendell, basically a Koopa Troopa; Cheesy Chester, a rat; Schnautzel, a pig that breathes fire; Buffaloafer, a buffalo that will charge at you; Chomps, basically Piranha Plants; Porcupal, a porcupine that lights itself on fire; Swooper Dooper, a flying enemy; Fritz, an electric eel; Jellyfish; Mama Saw, a sawfish enemy; Puftups, puffer fish; Sea Urchins; Squiddicus, the giant octopus from before; Bouncelisks, lizards carrying bouncy fruit on their backs; Bucky, a poisonous caterpillar; Buzzy, a bee; Chompasaur, a living plant that can crawl along the ground; and Toucan't, a bird who rolls on top of a spiky ball.

The levels in this world are certainly some of the most creative. The Lost Mangroves is your basic jungle level, not much to cover. Autumn Heights is a serene fall-leaves setting full of windmills and such. Bright Savannah is heavily based on the African savannah. Sea Breeze Cove is a beach/underwater level. Juicy Jungle is literally a whole series of levels built around the idea of food as a level (see drug-fueled dream sequence in the last game). And finally we have DK Isle, which is a series of levels based on every world from the last game, but covered in ice this time around (I'm just saying, that is so cool). Topping it all off with a final battle against Lord Fredrik in the volcano.

We have a lot of the same basic items from the previous game, as they were obviously made by the same developers, a la Retro Studios. So not much to add in here.

All right, let's see what we've got so far:

Characters:
Donkey Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, kick, punch, invincibility, pull levers, coconut gun, bongos, orange grenades, slam, ground pound, giant punch, rocket barrel, multiple punches
Diddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Dixie, dynamite, spin with tail, bounce on tail, rocketbarrel pack, charge headfirst, peanut popgun, guitar, orange grenade, slam, rocket barrel, multiple punches
Dixie Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Diddy, dynamite, flick with hair, fly with ponytail, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks, bubblegum popgun
Kiddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Tiny Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, flick with ponytails, teleport, fly, shrink, feather arrows, saxophone, slam, orange grenades
Lanky Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, stretch arms, multi-slap, jump rope, inflate, walk on hands, grape shooter, trombone, slam, orange grenades
Chunky Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, pick up giant rocks, punch, turn invisible, grow giant, roundhouse punch, slam, orange grenades
Cranky Kong: walking stick, dynamite, hints, museum, throw rocks, potions, shop, run, jump, roll, climb, etc., pogo stick cane, wack with cane, dentures popgun
Candy Kong: save, musical instruments, flirt
Funky Kong: airplane, boat, weapons, boot-bazooka, shop
Wrinkly Kong: college, hints, save, workout, ghost
Swanky Kong: quiz show, extra balloons, target mini-game
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, jump high, cannonballs, blunderbuss, suck, various items, propeller jetpack, fireballs, electricity, KAOS, Klaptrap, shockwave slap, giant punch, bounce off ropes, Blast-o-Matic
Lord Fredrik: ice dragon horn, jump, charge, blow out spike balls, enemies, throw fish, shield, giant snowballs, giant mace
Kremlings/Kritter: walk forward (Klomp/Kobble), jump (Kaboing/Re-Koil), ride minecart (Krash/Klank), Krusha/Kruncha/Krumple (maybe his own, run, jump, bazooka, punch, roll, orange grenades, etc.), Klump/Kannon/Kuff n' Klout? (maybe his own, blunderbuss, jump, orange grenades), hide in barrel (Klobber/Knocka/Kracka/Kuchuka/ Klasp/Kaboom), climb ropes (Klinger), Kutlass, Krook, Kloak, Kackle, Klubba, Koin, Kopter, Bazuka, Kasplat, Kosha, Robokremlings, Ghosts, Shrooms, Bones
Tiki Tong/Various Tikis: spew lava, slap left and right, down, together, hypnotize, back and forth, fly, boing, light on fire, razor blades, tank, explode, wormhole, spit blades
Tucks: walk around, charge, wear helmets, wear spiky helmets, carry shields, use a bow and arrow to shoot fish or fire, throw a giant melon bomb, use a fishbone spear to jab you, fly, bounce on springs, use a horn to blow fish out of it, drive a giant mech
Animal Buddies:
Rambi: charge forward, jump
Enguarde: swim, stab
Expresso: jump, run fast, glide
Winky: leap
Squawks: fly, flashlight, carry Kongs, peanuts, find stuff
Rattly: bounce
Squitter: crawl, spit webs, walk on webs
Clapper: cool things
Glimmer: flashlight
Quawks: fly, carry Kongs
Ellie: charge, jump, pick up barrels, squirt water
Parry: mimic
<Tentative> Moles: balloons, pickaxes, burrow, train, bombs, minecarts? (sounds a whole lot of derivative. Maybe a color swap for Monty?)

Bosses:
Very Gnawty
Master Necky
Queen B
Really Gnawty
Dumb Drum
Master Necky Sr.
Krow
Kleever
Kudgel
King Zing
Kreepy Krow
Belcha
Arich
Squirt
Bleak
Barbos
KAOS
Army Dillo
Dogadon
Mad Jack
Puftoss
King Kut Out
Mugly
Scurvy Crew
Stu
Mole Miner Max
Mangoruby
Thugly
Stompybot 3000
Squiddicus
Big Squeekly
Pompy the Presumptuous
Skowl the Startling
Baboom the Boisterous
Fugu the Frightening
Bashmaster the Unbreakable

Stages:
Jungle Level
Forest/Trees Level
Mine/Cave Level
Underwater Level
Snow Level
Factory Level
Gangplank Galleon
Volcano Level
Theme Park Level
Ghostly Level
Bramble/Hive Level
K. Rool's Keep
Flying Krock
Cliff/Waterfall Level
KAOS Core
Jungle Japes
Angry Aztec
Frantic Factory
Gloomy Galleon
Fungi Forest
Crystal Caves
Creepy Castle
Hideout Helm
DK Isle
Jungle Hijinx
Beach Level
Golden Temple
Food-Themed Level
Lost Mangroves
Autumn Heights
Bright Savannah
Sea Breeze Cove
Juicy Jungle
Frozen DK Island

Items:
Barrels
Barrel Cannons
Bananas
Banana Coins
Tires
Banana Birds
Cogs
Presents
Boat
Plane
Oranges
Banana Fairy
Golden Banana
Puzzle Pieces
Letter Panels

Thanks for reading! Now, let's break this all down and put ourselves together a roster.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS

Donkey Kong Country Returns is the first game in a revitalization of the Donkey Kong brand by Retro Studios. I would say that overhaul is a bit of an understatement for this series, as almost every element of the series has been more or less thrown out the window for this game except for Donkey, Diddy, and Cranky. Even King K. Rool and the Kremlings have entirely vanished from the map, not a small part in the "lack of relevance" many fans feared would contribute to K. Rool's exclusion from Super Smash Bros. Those fears proved incorrect, as you may know, and this series simply stands as a creative new take on the franchise.

This game features Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong adventuring once again to save their island, this time from an evil tribe of Tikis who possess the various animals living there. Both can perform much of the basics of Donkey Kong, run, jump, roll, barrel cannons, climb, swing, swim, fly around in a rocket barrrel, and all that jazz. A ground pound has been added to their moveset, a move which had been entirely absent from the series except for Smash Bros. Donkey Kong can now perform a giant punch (another absent except for Smash), and Diddy can use his rocketbarrel pack to fly around. During a quick-time event at the end of each boss fight, Donkey and Diddy can unleash a multi-punch strike on the Tiki controlling the boss, which I'm fairly certain was the inspiration for Donkey's current final smash.

Cranky is the only returning support Kong, running a shop for you to buy things, while a Tutorial Pig gives you instructions on how to play the game here and there. Rambi returns as your only Animal Buddy, charging as he always does.

Tiki Tong acts as the leader of the Tikis, a large floating head with two hands. As the leader of the tikis as a whole, he could also function as a catch-all model for all tikis, but we'll cross that road when we come to it. As a boss, he is shown to be able to spew lava from his mouth and control the other tikis, and use his hands to swipe left and right, slam them down, and clap them together. A squad of generals named Kalimba, the Maraca Gang, Gong-Oh, Banjo Bottom, Wacky Pipes, Xylobone, and Cordian (all shaped like instruments), all show the ability to hypnotize various creature.

Other tikis include the basic Tiki Goon, who move back and forth; Tiki Doom, a big version; the flying Tiki Buzz, and its giant form Tiki Tork; a flaming version of both, called the Tiki Torch and Flaming Tiki Buzz respectively; a blue version of the Tiki Torch, called a Tiki Bomber; Tiki Boing, a bouncing Tiki; Tiki Tank, a tough version of the Tiki; Tiki Zings, Big Zings, and Fireballs, who spin razor blades; Tiki Pops, who explode; and Tiki Seekers who emerge from wormholes and spit blades at you.

We have a number of new enemies, with basically no returning enemies to speak of. These include: Frogoon and Hopgoon, frogs who bounce; Chomp, basically a Piranha Plant; Snaggles, a shark that leaps from the water; Squeeklies and Buzzbites, types of bats; Awk, basically the goomba; Rawk, an Awk that will charge; Mimics, who pretend to be bushes; Snaps and Pinchlies, types of crabs; Squidlies and Electrasquids, basically bullet bills but squids; Jellybobs, electric jellyfish that leap from the water; Stilts, chickens wearing stilts; Humzees, hummingbirds that dart toward you; Toothberries and Acks, little biting tribble-like things, some trapped in cages and others stacked up; Mole Miners and Guards, who use pickaxes in the mines, using balloons to keep themselves, throwing bombs, and riding minecarts (hmm . . . close, but I think not quite); various types of chomps that spit spores and eat vines; Cobras that cling to grassy areas; Skittlers, spiders that dangle from webs and walk on the ground; Wiggler Vines that fly; Skellirex and Skullirex, dinosaur skeleton things, with Firehead Jed and Bonehead Jed being variants that ride in minecarts and sometimes spit fireballs; Pogobots, Pyrobots, Buckbots, and Bombots, all robots who perform various functions like bouncing around, blowing fire, and laying exploding eggs; Char-Chars, which are basically Lava Bubbles; and Kowalee, who is basically a Lakitu, hovering over you and dropping bombs on your head.

The handful of bosses you face in the game include: Mugly, a . . . thing who charges around at you; the Scurvy Crew, a gang of crabs who burrow around and pop up from underneath and stack on top of each other; Stu, a giant chicken inside of a soup cauldron? who will fly around and throw bombs and missiles at you; Mole Miner Max, a mole who drives a train, burrows, and throws his pickax (still trying to edge in, but still not quite I think); Mangoruby, a . . . nother thing who crawls around and shoots electricity at you; Thugly, a bigger version of Mugly who can belly flop and breathe fire; and Colonel Pluck and Stompybot 3000, a chicken driving a mech suit that can stomp, hover in the air, and drop eggs and bombs from itself. Also of note are a few minibosses like Squiddicus, a giant octopus that terrorizes a level with its tentacles; Big Squeekly, a giant bat that chases you and uses sonic bursts; and Munchers, a swarm of spider-things that basically eat an entire level behind you.

Much as with previous games, each world has its own theme but the stages within can vary greatly, though not to the same extent as previous games (most stages at least follow the theme slightly). World 1 is a jungle of course, World 2 is a beach, World 3 is ruins, World 4 is a cave, World 5 is a forest, World 6 is a cliff, World 7 is a factory, and World 8 is a volcano. This game introduced the idea of a foreground and background to each stage, a concept which was featured in the Smash for Wii U stage Jungle Hijinxs (named after the first level of the game). At the end of the game, Donkey and Diddy take the golden banana taken back from Tiki Tong to a golden temple, where upon eating from the banana, apparently go on a drug-fueled hallucination trip through a level made up entirely of different kinds of food, so that's neat.

Bananas and barrels all return, though this time they are also tasked with collecting puzzle pieces and panels that spell out the word Kong.

All right, let's see what we've got so far:

Characters:
Donkey Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, kick, punch, invincibility, pull levers, coconut gun, bongos, orange grenades, slam, ground pound, giant punch, rocket barrel, multiple punches
Diddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Dixie, dynamite, spin with tail, bounce on tail, rocketbarrel pack, charge headfirst, peanut popgun, guitar, orange grenade, slam, rocket barrel, multiple punches
Dixie Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Diddy, dynamite, flick with hair, fly with ponytail, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Kiddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Tiny Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, flick with ponytails, teleport, fly, shrink, feather arrows, saxophone, slam, orange grenades
Lanky Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, stretch arms, multi-slap, jump rope, inflate, walk on hands, grape shooter, trombone, slam, orange grenades
Chunky Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, pick up giant rocks, punch, turn invisible, grow giant, roundhouse punch, slam, orange grenades
Cranky Kong: walking stick, dynamite, hints, museum, throw rocks, potions, shop
Candy Kong: save, musical instruments, flirt
Funky Kong: airplane, boat, weapons, boot-bazooka
Wrinkly Kong: college, hints, save, workout, ghost
Swanky Kong: quiz show, extra balloons, target mini-game
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, jump high, cannonballs, blunderbuss, suck, various items, propeller jetpack, fireballs, electricity, KAOS, Klaptrap, shockwave slap, giant punch, bounce off ropes, Blast-o-Matic
Kremlings/Kritter: walk forward (Klomp/Kobble), jump (Kaboing/Re-Koil), ride minecart (Krash/Klank), Krusha/Kruncha/Krumple (maybe his own, run, jump, bazooka, punch, roll, orange grenades, etc.), Klump/Kannon/Kuff n' Klout? (maybe his own, blunderbuss, jump, orange grenades), hide in barrel (Klobber/Knocka/Kracka/Kuchuka/ Klasp/Kaboom), climb ropes (Klinger), Kutlass, Krook, Kloak, Kackle, Klubba, Koin, Kopter, Bazuka, Kasplat, Kosha, Robokremlings, Ghosts, Shrooms, Bones
Tiki Tong/Various Tikis: spew lava, slap left and right, down, together, hypnotize, back and forth, fly, boing, light on fire, razor blades, tank, explode, wormhole, spit blades
Animal Buddies:
Rambi: charge forward, jump
Enguarde: swim, stab
Expresso: jump, run fast, glide
Winky: leap
Squawks: fly, flashlight, carry Kongs, peanuts
Rattly: bounce
Squitter: crawl, spit webs, walk on webs
Clapper: cool things
Glimmer: flashlight
Quawks: fly, carry Kongs
Ellie: charge, jump, pick up barrels, squirt water
Parry: mimic
<Tentative> Moles: balloons, pickaxes, burrow, train, bombs, minecarts? (sounds a whole lot of derivative. Maybe a color swap for Monty?)

Bosses:
Very Gnawty
Master Necky
Queen B
Really Gnawty
Dumb Drum
Master Necky Sr.
Krow
Kleever
Kudgel
King Zing
Kreepy Krow
Belcha
Arich
Squirt
Bleak
Barbos
KAOS
Army Dillo
Dogadon
Mad Jack
Puftoss
King Kut Out
Mugly
Scurvy Crew
Stu
Mole Miner Max
Mangoruby
Thugly
Stompybot 3000
Squiddicus
Big Squeekly

Stages:
Jungle Level
Forest/Trees Level
Mine/Cave Level
Underwater Level
Snow Level
Factory Level
Gangplank Galleon
Volcano Level
Theme Park Level
Ghostly Level
Bramble/Hive Level
K. Rool's Keep
Flying Krock
Cliff/Waterfall Level
KAOS Core
Jungle Japes
Angry Aztec
Frantic Factory
Gloomy Galleon
Fungi Forest
Crystal Caves
Creepy Castle
Hideout Helm
DK Isle
Jungle Hijinx
Beach Level
Golden Temple
Food-Themed Level

Items:
Barrels
Barrel Cannons
Bananas
Banana Coins
Tires
Banana Birds
Cogs
Presents
Boat
Plane
Oranges
Banana Fairy
Golden Banana
Puzzle Pieces
Letter Panels

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover the game's sequel Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze!

Donkey Kong 64

DONKEY KONG 64

Time for us to look at what looks like the Donkey Kong series' only major forays into 3D. While Rare shined with several 3D games in the era, Banjo-Kazooie, Goldeneye 007, and Conker's Bad Fur Day for example, but this one doesn't seem to be often held up as one of the greats. That said, it's not without its merits. The game's story features King K. Rool and his Kremlings having constructed a superweapon called the Blast-o-Matic to wipe out DK Isle, and Donkey Kong and four friends having to work together to stop them.

Our protagonists include Donkey Kong returning finally to playable status, his faithful sidekick Diddy Kong, Dixie's little sister Tiny Kong (who inherits most of her floaty qualities), a distant oddball cousin named Lanky Kong who specializes in stretchy unwieldy movements, and Kiddy's big brother Chunky, who is the muscle of the team. Most of them follow the same basic mechanics as each other, though there is a greater amount of difference between all five than have been in previous games. They can all run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, kick, and throw orange grenades, and generally all move the way the old games would move in 3D.

Each has their own distinct movesets however that vary them from each other. A major aspect of their variation is special moves supplied by Cranky Kong, Funky Kong, and Candy Kong each. Donkey Kong is sorta kinda the middle basic character, like Mario in his games, though a bit on the stronger side. Cranky's potions allow him to blast through a minigame of barrel cannons, become invincible, and pull levers. Funky supplies him with the Coconut Gun, you know, the one that fires in spurts and if he shoots you, it's gonna hurt. Candy supplies him with bongos to destroy all enemies in the area.

Diddy is smaller and quicker, as he has always been. Cranky gives him the power to bounce high into the air with his tail, gives him a rocketbarrel jetpack to fly around with, and charge headfirst into gongs and things. Funky gives him his peanut popguns, and Candy gives him a rock guitar. Tiny can fly with her ponytails and flick them at enemies, just like her sister, while Cranky allows her to teleport and shrink down to tiny size. Funky supplies her with a feather-shooting bow, and Candy gives her a saxophone.

Lanky Kong can stretch his arms around in a circle, unleash a multi-slap attack, and jump-rope with his long arms. Cranky allows him to inflate himself just like a balloon and walk around on his hands, allowing him to run faster and climb steep slopes. Funky gives him a grape shooter, and Candy gives him a trombone. Chunky, in general, is ridiculously strong and can move objects much heavier than any other character can manage. Cranky will let him turn invisible, turn into a giant, and pull off a strong roundhouse punch. Funky supplies him with a pineapple launcher, and Candy gives him a triangle.

As we mentioned already, Cranky, Funky, and Candy guest star as supporting characters, Cranky having become a mad scientist apparently and giving the Kongs potions that grant them new abilities. Funky has apparently given up being a surfer dude and started up a military supply store, and Candy has opened herself a music shop. Technically all of these things can be attributed likewise to them (though Candy's still giving me struggles trying to imagine moves for her). Funky and Candy also show up at the very end, Candy being seductive to distract King K. Rool while Funky sneaks up behind him and hits him with a . . . butt-kicking bazooka. Cool.

Outside of these, a handful more supporting characters appear. Wrinkly Kong has apparently died (sad), but she still appears to give you hints here and there. Snide is a weasel who built the Blast-o-Matic who asks you to track down his blueprints so he can help you get into the fortress. K. Lumsy is a giant friendly Kremling locked in a cage by K. Rool. He will jump around excitedly, causing earthquakes and unlocking new areas, and once unleashed, he will chase around K. Rool and knock him out of the sky. A Banana Fairy Princess more or less takes the place of the Banana Bird from the previous game, asking you to find and return her subjects. And Troff n' Scoff are a pig and hippo that you can feed bananas until they are able to unlock the door to each world's boss battle. A handful of other NPCs help you out with small things throughout the game, including a mermaid, a llama, a beetle, a seal, a rabbit, a worm, and an ice creature. Rambi, Enguarde, and Squawks all also return, doing more or less as they did before.

King K. Rool returns as our main villain, returning to his King persona once again. For most of the game, he is sitting on his throne in the Blast-o-Matic's control room with a pet Klaptrap on his lap who attacks the various minions when they fail him. When the heroes reach the final battle with him, he steps into a boxing ring and dons the boxing gloves used in his Ultimate moveset. During this fight, he will hang from the rafters above, butt bash to make a shockwave, throw a spinning punch, charge around the stage, bounce off the ropes, and launch forward in a giant punch. His toes will also attack during Tiny's phase of the fight.

The Kremlings return mostly to their DKC1 monikers, with Kritters acting as the basic enemies, Klumps now being able to throw orange grenades, Klaptraps crawling around and biting, Krashes riding minecarts, Klobbers riding around in barrels (Kabooms in exploding barrels), and Kroc acting as a sniper. Kasplats are sorta new, being the keepers of Snide's blueprints and being able to create shockwaves by punching the ground. Robokremlings are robotic Kritters, Koshas swing giant clubs, Shrooms dress up as mushrooms, Bones are basically Kremling Dry Bones, and Ghosts are Kremlings in sheets. Krushas do appear in the game, though only as a secret unlockable character that most don't really even know about. In that function, he's just kind of a mishmash of the Kongs' basic moveset, nothing special.

The game's enemies include: Gnawties, Zingers, Shuris, and Puftups all returning under the same name, flying enemies like Buzzards and Bats, a handful of toy themed enemies like Sir Domino, Super Block, Mr. Dice, and Rulers, robotic Mechazingers, octopi named Scubis, living Tomatoes, living Flames, and a handful of minibosses, like a giant spider dangling from the ceiling, a giant Kosha, and a demon that swipes at you and spits fireballs while riding a minecart.

We also have an assortment of bosses, including: Army Dillo, a high-tech armadillo with cannons on his back who can fire off projectiles and roll around; Dogadon, a dragon that will fly around and spit fireballs; Mad Jack, a living jack-in-the-box who will hop around, spit explosive darts, and turn invisible; Puftoss, a giant Puftup who will send out shockwaves; and King Kut Out, a giant cardboard cutout of King K. Rool that will shoot lasers at you.

DK Isle acts as a giant hub world for the characters, granting you access to: Jungle Japes, a basic jungle level; Angry Aztec, a ruins/temple area; Frantic Factory, a factory level; Gloomy Galleon, an underwater/pirate ship level; Fungi Forest, a forest level; Crystal Caves, an underground/cavern area; Creepy Castle, a haunted castle world; and Hideout Helm, the inside of the Blast-o-Matic.

A number of items return, including bananas and barrels and coins of course, with giant golden bananas as the main mcguffins of each stage and a handful of other collectibles, like Snide's blueprints and the banana fairies, and the orange grenades.

All right, let's see what we've got so far:

Characters:
Donkey Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, kick, punch, invincibility, pull levers, coconut gun, bongos, orange grenades, slam
Diddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Dixie, dynamite, spin with tail, bounce on tail, rocketbarrel pack, charge headfirst, peanut popgun, guitar, orange grenade, slam
Dixie Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Diddy, dynamite, flick with hair, fly with ponytail, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Kiddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Tiny Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, flick with ponytails, teleport, fly, shrink, feather arrows, saxophone, slam, orange grenades
Lanky Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, stretch arms, multi-slap, jump rope, inflate, walk on hands, grape shooter, trombone, slam, orange grenades
Chunky Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, pick up giant rocks, punch, turn invisible, grow giant, roundhouse punch, slam, orange grenades
Cranky Kong: walking stick, dynamite, hints, museum, throw rocks, potions
Candy Kong: save, musical instruments, flirt
Funky Kong: airplane, boat, weapons, boot-bazooka
Wrinkly Kong: college, hints, save, workout, ghost
Swanky Kong: quiz show, extra balloons, target mini-game
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, jump high, cannonballs, blunderbuss, suck, various items, propeller jetpack, fireballs, electricity, KAOS, Klaptrap, shockwave slap, giant punch, bounce off ropes, Blast-o-Matic
Kremlings/Kritter: walk forward (Klomp/Kobble), jump (Kaboing/Re-Koil), ride minecart (Krash/Klank), Krusha/Kruncha/Krumple (maybe his own, run, jump, bazooka, punch, roll, orange grenades, etc.), Klump/Kannon/Kuff n' Klout? (maybe his own, blunderbuss, jump, orange grenades), hide in barrel (Klobber/Knocka/Kracka/Kuchuka/ Klasp/Kaboom), climb ropes (Klinger), Kutlass, Krook, Kloak, Kackle, Klubba, Koin, Kopter, Bazuka, Kasplat, Kosha, Robokremlings, Ghosts, Shrooms, Bones
Animal Buddies:
Rambi: charge forward, jump
Enguarde: swim, stab
Expresso: jump, run fast, glide
Winky: leap
Squawks: fly, flashlight, carry Kongs, peanuts
Rattly: bounce
Squitter: crawl, spit webs, walk on webs
Clapper: cool things
Glimmer: flashlight
Quawks: fly, carry Kongs
Ellie: charge, jump, pick up barrels, squirt water
Parry: mimic

Bosses:
Very Gnawty
Master Necky
Queen B
Really Gnawty
Dumb Drum
Master Necky Sr.
Krow
Kleever
Kudgel
King Zing
Kreepy Krow
Belcha
Arich
Squirt
Bleak
Barbos
KAOS
Army Dillo
Dogadon
Mad Jack
Puftoss
King Kut Out

Stages:
Jungle Level
Forest/Trees Level
Mine/Cave Level
Underwater Level
Snow Level
Factory Level
Gangplank Galleon
Volcano Level
Theme Park Level
Ghostly Level
Bramble/Hive Level
K. Rool's Keep
Flying Krock
Cliff/Waterfall Level
KAOS Core
Jungle Japes
Angry Aztec
Frantic Factory
Gloomy Galleon
Fungi Forest
Crystal Caves
Creepy Castle
Hideout Helm
DK Isle

Items:
Barrels
Barrel Cannons
Bananas
Banana Coins
Tires
Banana Birds
Cogs
Presents
Boat
Plane
Oranges
Banana Fairy
Golden Banana

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover Donkey Kong Country Returns!

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 3: DIXIE KONG'S DOUBLE TROUBLE!

Donkey Kong Country 3 is the third entry in the revamped Donkey Kong franchise, once again taking the sidekick from the previous game and making them the hero of this game with their own new sidekick. The plot of this game follows Dixie Kong and her younger cousin Kiddy Kong, who she's been tasked with babysitting, as she works to rescue Donkey and Diddy, both of whom have now been kidnapped by Baron K. Roolenstein (King K. Rool in a labcoat).

Much like the previous two games, Dixie and Kiddy function on much the same mechanics as the previous games, running, jumping, picking things up and throwing them, using barrel cannons, bouncing on tires, and so on. Dixie Kong's prehensile ponytail also returns, allowing her to flick enemies and float through the air. Kiddy Kong returns the series to having a distinct physical difference in size between the two main characters, Kiddy Kong being large and strong as compared to Dixie. A few new mechanics include the ability to hang from hooks and so on, fly in a rocket barrel across great distances, and travel across the world map in a boat and plane supplied by Funky Kong. Donkey and Diddy do appear in the game, though mostly in cutscenes held captive inside the robot KAOS.

We have a few supporting characters returning this time. Cranky appears as your opponent in a mini-game run by Swanky Kong, where he and the player throw rocks at targets to win prizes. Wrinkly Kong is now retired and works out while saving your game for you. Funky Kong supplies you with the boat and plane needed to traverse the world map (meaning both can be attributed to him as well as our heroes). We are also introduced to a family of bears who run shops around the map, and a giant banana bird who will break free from her containment once you've collected enough small banana birds and will take out K. Rool for you (I smell Final Smash fodder).

A new and returning set of Animal Buddies help you out this time. Enguarde, Squitter, Squawks, and Quawks all return and function the same as they had in the previous game, with an elephant named Ellie replacing Rambi, being able to pick things up with her trunk and spit water alongside the standard charging, and Parry, a colorful bird who mimics your actions. All things considered so far, I think most of the Animal Buddies are far more suited to being Assist Trophies than fighters, especially since in game they seem to be almost the original basis for the concept of Assist Trophies as a whole.

King K. Rool dons a labcoat and jetpack this time around, calling himself Baron K. Roolenstein. During his own boss fights, he will hover around with a jetpack-propeller thing that serves as the basis of his current Up B, while throwing fireballs down at you and using electricity to zap you. In cutscenes, he is also shown controlling the robot KAOS, who initially acts as the main villain. KAOS will float around in his boss battles, blowing fire at you and spinning razor blades around its body. Eventually its head will detach and shoot lasers at you, dropping bombs from it.

The Kremlings also return, once again having completely different names for the exact same thing. Kobbles are the new Kritters, though they're suddenly called Skidda if they happen to slip on some ice, and Re-Koils are the new Kaboings. Krimps replace the Klaptraps, and Krumples are the new Krushas. Kuff n' Klouts may be the new Klumps, but they like to jump like Kaboings. Knockas replace Klobbers as the Kremlings hiding in barrels, unless they're in dynamite barrels, then they're Krackas. If they throw things from their barrels, then they're Kuchukas, and if they hang from ropes, then they're Klasps. A few new types include Koins and Koindozers who hold shields to protect them from attack, Kopters who spin propellers to fly up and down, Bazukas who carry around giant barrel launchers, and Kroc, a sniper who targets you from afar all throughout certain levels.

As for our more basic enemies: Sneeks replace Neeks, Buzzes replace Zingers, Knik-Knaks replace Click-Clacks, Bristles replace Spinies, and Kocos, Nibblas, Bazzas, Bounty Basses, and Gleamin' Breams take over as the various fish species of the game. Lurchins (clams combined with urchins) and Missile Shells also fill the waters. Booty Birds are fat birds that drop items, Swoopies fly back and forth, and Karbines carry fireball-shooting cannons. Lemguins are penguins who slide on their bellies, Minkeys are little monkeys that cling to walls and throw acorns, and Nids are bouncing spiders hiding under platforms.

As for our bosses, we have Belcha, a giant barrel that spits up smaller barrels filled with Knik-Knaks; Arich, a giant spider that dangles from a web and spits poison; Squirt, a giant . . . crab? who lives behind a waterfall who spits out jets of water; Bleak, a snowman who throws snowballs and fires them from his hat; and Barbos, a giant Lurchin who spawns other Lurchins and shoots out his spikes.

Once again, the game is split up into various worlds with a handful of stages within, and though each world technically has its own theme, the stages within tend to just kinda do whatever they want. Lake Orangatanga is mostly a lakeside water-themed area, Kremwood Forest is a forest area, Cotton-Top Cove is mostly cliff and waterfall-themed worlds, Mekanos is a factory world, K3 is a snowy region, Razor Ridge is another cliff and waterfall area, KAOS Kore is a factory/castle themed area, and Krematoa is a volcano region.

Of course, bananas, barrels, coins, and tires all return, with banana birds being added in to the mix, as well as the boat and plane used by Dixie and Diddy in their travels.

All right, let's see what we've got so far:

Characters:
Donkey Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels
Diddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Dixie, dynamite
Dixie Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Diddy, dynamite, flick with hair, fly with ponytail, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Kiddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Cranky Kong: walking stick, dynamite, hints, museum, throw rocks
Candy Kong: save
Funky Kong: airplane, boat
Wrinkly Kong: college, hints, save, workout
Swanky Kong: quiz show, extra balloons, target mini-game
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, jump high, cannonballs, blunderbuss, suck, various items, propeller jetpack, fireballs, electricity, KAOS
Kremlings/Kritter: walk forward (Klomp/Kobble), jump (Kaboing/Re-Koil), ride minecart (Krash/Klank), Krusha/Kruncha/Krumple (maybe his own), Klump/Kannon/Kuff n' Klout? (maybe his own, blunderbuss, jump), hide in barrel (Klobber/Knocka/Kracka/Kuchuka/Klasp), climb ropes (Klinger), Kutlass, Krook, Kloak, Kackle, Klubba, Koin, Kopter, Bazuka
Animal Buddies:
Rambi: charge forward, jump
Enguarde: swim, stab
Expresso: jump, run fast, glide
Winky: leap
Squawks: fly, flashlight, carry Kongs, peanuts
Rattly: bounce
Squitter: crawl, spit webs, walk on webs
Clapper: cool things
Glimmer: flashlight
Quawks: fly, carry Kongs
Ellie: charge, jump, pick up barrels, squirt water
Parry: mimic

Bosses:
Very Gnawty
Master Necky
Queen B
Really Gnawty
Dumb Drum
Master Necky Sr.
Krow
Kleever
Kudgel
King Zing
Kreepy Krow
Belcha
Arich
Squirt
Bleak
Barbos
KAOS

Stages:
Jungle Level
Forest/Trees Level
Mine/Cave Level
Underwater Level
Snow Level
Factory Level
Gangplank Galleon
Volcano Level
Theme Park Level
Ghostly Level
Bramble/Hive Level
K. Rool's Keep
Flying Krock
Cliff/Waterfall Level
KAOS Core

Items:
Barrels
Barrel Cannons
Bananas
Banana Coins
Tires
Banana Birds
Cogs
Presents
Boat
Plane

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover Donkey Kong 64!

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 2: DIDDY'S KONG QUEST

Today, let's go over the sequel to Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. This game seems generally to be considered the best of the original trilogy, and starts off the admittedly short-lived trend of taking the sidekick from the previous game, making them the star and giving them a new sidekick. The game's plot follows Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong as they journey to rescue Donkey Kong from Kaptain K. Rool (same guy, different title).

Diddy and Dixie act as the main playable characters this time around, both being relatively small as opposed to the obvious contrast between Donkey and Diddy. They both followed more or less the same mechanics, being able to run, jump, throw barrels, climb, swim, you know, all the main mechanics from the first game. They can also throw each other, throw dynamite, and Dixie could use her ponytail to fly through the air briefly and could also flick it as a weapon. Donkey also appears in the game, but spends all of his time tied up by K. Rool.

We have a few supporting Kongs this time around as well. Cranky returns, once again providing hints while this time running a museum. Funky also returns, once again providing the Kongs with a biplane that allows them to visit previous worlds. We also meet Wrinkly Kong, Donkey Kong's grandmother, who also provides hints while working at Kong College, and takes over Candy's place as the save point. And finally, we have Swanky Kong, who runs a quiz show where they can win extra life balloons.

The animal buddies also return, each supporting the Kongs in their own special way. Rambi, Enguarde, and Squawks all return, with Rambi and Enguarde functioning more or less the same as they did before, and Squawks now flying and carrying the Kongs through the air and spitting peanuts at enemies. New animal buddies include: Rattly, a snake coiled up like a spring who can bounce (basically replacing Winky); Squitter, a giant spider who spits web as projectiles and can then walk on the webs created by the projectiles; Clapper, a seal who can cool off boiling hot water or freeze regular water; Glimmer, an angler fish that takes up Squawks's old job; and Quawks, a second blue parrot that can't spit peanuts.

Kaptain K. Rool is the main villain of this game, King K. Rool having hung up his cape and crown and traded it out for a pirate's hat and coat. In this game, he has kidnapped Donkey Kong and is keeping him tied up in his castle (the king has a pirate ship and the pirate captain has a castle?). Diddy and Dixie fight him twice, and during those battles, he uses a blunderbuss to fire a cannonball at them. He can also use the blunderbuss like a vacuum to suck things up, including his own cannonball. He can also charge around the stage at high speed. In his second battle, he fires numerous items from his blunderbuss.

The Kremlings return again in various forms, but as I mentioned last time, they tended to simply give the same enemies different names in different games. For instance, we have: Klomp, which is a Kritter; Kaboing, which is a jumping critter; Krunchas, which are Krushas; Kannons, which are Klumps with blunderbusses; Klanks, which are Krashes; and Klampons, which are Klaptraps and do not at sound like Kremling feminine hygiene products. Some other new versions include: Klobbers, who hide inside barrels; Klingers, who climb ropes; Kutlasses, who wield cutlasses; Krooks, who throw hooks like boomerangs; Kloaks, who float around in the air and throw things at you; Krockheads, who are basically just living platforms; Kackle, a ghostly Kremling who follows you around; and Klubba, a giant muscular Kremling wielding a club who lets you take a barrel to a secret world after you pay a toll.

A few other enemies appear throughout the game, including: Neeks, small rats who more or less replace the Gnawties; Click Clacks, beetles who crawl around; Zingers, who are probably the only enemy to keep their own name; Flotsam, stingrays who float through the water; Lockjaw, biting fish; Shuri, spinning starfish; Flitter, dragonflies; Mini-Neckies, oh, hey, look, another one; Spinies, who are porcupines; Puftups, puffer fish; Cat o' Nine Tails, which is a cat with nine tails who spins around really fast; and finally Screech, a rival parrot who races Squawks at one point.

Finally, we have a handful of bosses to go over. Krow is a giant vulture who flies around and drops eggs. Kleever is a living sword who will fly around, jab and chop at you, and chuck fireballs at you. Kudgel is basically an even bigger version of Klubba who will actually use his club on you. King Zing is a giant Zinger who follows you around and shoots spikes at you. And finally Kreepy Krow is a giant ghostly vulture who spawns Mini-Neckies to attack you.

As for our stages, once again we have a variety of worlds that technically have a theme, but the stages within them are all kinds of varied. The world's themselves include Gangplank Galleon, starting from where we left off last time; Crocodile Cauldron, a volcano world; Krem Quay, an underwater-themed world; Krazy Kremland, an amusement park-themed world; Gloomy Gulch, a ghost-themed world; and K. Rool's Keep, a castle; with the Flying Krock, an airship that serves as the secret final world. Beyond that, almost every biome from the first game reappears, plus a few bramble or hive levels where Squawks needs to take you around.

Items are mostly the same. Barrels, bananas, coins, tires, all return.

All right, let's see what we've got so far:

Characters:
Donkey Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels
Diddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Dixie, dynamite
Dixie Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Diddy, dynamite, flick with hair, fly with ponytail
Cranky Kong: walking stick, dynamite, hints, museum
Candy Kong: save
Funky Kong: airplane
Wrinkly Kong: college, hints, save
Swanky Kong: quiz show, extra balloons
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, jump high, cannonballs, blunderbuss, suck, various items
Kremlings/Kritter: walk forward (Klomp), jump (Kaboing), ride minecart (Krash/Klank), Krusha/Kruncha (maybe his own), Klump/Kannon (maybe his own, blunderbuss), hide in barrel (Klobber), climb ropes (Klinger), Kutlass, Krook, Kloak, Kackle, Klubba
Animal Buddies:
Rambi: charge forward, jump
Enguarde: swim, stab
Expresso: jump, run fast, glide
Winky: leap
Squawks: fly, flashlight, carry Kongs, peanuts
Rattly: bounce
Squitter: crawl, spit webs, walk on webs
Clapper: cool things
Glimmer: flashlight
Quawks: fly, carry Kongs

Bosses:
Very Gnawty
Master Necky
Queen B
Really Gnawty
Dumb Drum
Master Necky Sr.
Krow
Kleever
Kudgel
King Zing
Kreepy Krow

Stages:
Jungle Level
Forest/Trees Level
Mine/Cave Level
Underwater Level
Snow Level
Factory Level
Gangplank Galleon
Volcano Level
Theme Park Level
Ghostly Level
Bramble/Hive Level
K. Rool's Keep
Flying Krock

Items:
Barrels
Barrel Cannons
Bananas
Banana Coins
Tires

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover Donkey Kong Country 2!

Donkey Kong Country

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

Donkey Kong Country is the first game of what we now know as the Donkey Kong series, revitalized by Rare and turned into its own thing apart from that handful of arcade games tied to Mario. The game starred Donkey Kong (the grandson of the arcade's Donkey Kong), and his sidekick Diddy Kong as they journey to take back their banana horde from the evil King K. Rool.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong act as the first and second player characters, and as such both function on more or less the same game mechanics, the difference being Donkey Kong is larger and stronger, whereas Diddy is smaller and more agile. They could both run, jump, roll, swing on vines and ropes, launch themselves from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, and throw barrels. There's not a whole lot of variation here in this first game between them, the way there will be in future installments.

There are three supporting characters in this game. Cranky Kong is Donkey's grandfather and the original Donkey Kong. He has a cane that he swings around and throws dynamite in the opening cutscene. Other than that, he mostly gives out hints and complains about "kids these days." Candy Kong is Donkey's girlfriend and saves your game for you. Funky Kong is a chill, laid-back surfer dude who lets you use his plane to travel between worlds you've already visited.

After the supporting characters, we also have a set of Animal Buddies who help out Donkey and Diddy throughout their journey. Rambi is a rhinoceros who charges forward at high speed and can jump. Enguarde is a swordfish who swims more quickly through water and can stab enemies with his nose. Expresso is an ostrich who can leap high and can float some distance. Winky is a frog who can hop really high. Squawks is a green parrot who, in this game at least, follows you around with a torchlight. That's it.

King K. Rool is the villain of the game, a rotund crocodile who leads the Kremlings in taking Donkey Kong's bananas all for themselves. Donkey and Diddy fight him once during their journey, as the final battle. During the battle, he will throw his crown, charge around, jump up really high, and drop cannonballs from above. As the leader of the Kremlings, a lot of their stuff can also be applied to him of course, but there is enough for them to be their own thing as well.

The Kremlings are an interesting bunch. As I've covered this series, I've come to discover that the developers seemed to give them a different name if they did anything slightly different. And each subsequent game gave the same basic enemies different names. So, let's sort through it all, shall we? Kritters are the first and most basic version of the Kremlings, and would likely be the most basic character model's name for a Smash character. Just as Kritters, they mostly just walk around, but a few jump. Others include: Krash, which is a Kritter riding a minecart; Klump, a big, fat Kremling that can't be defeated by ordinary means; Krusha, a musclebound Kremling that also can't be defeated by ordinary means; Klaptrap, a small crocodile that crawls along the ground and bites you; and Rock Kroc, a golem of sorts that comes alive under a certain type of light.

Several other enemies exist in this world. These include: Gnawties, beaver things that serve as your Goomba stand-ins; Neckies and Mini-Neckies, vultures that fly around and spit nuts; Armies, armadillos who roll up into a ball to attack; Zingers, giant bees who buzz up and down and back and forth; Slippas, snakes who slither across the ground; Manky Kongs, evil apes who throw barrels; Bitesizes, who are fish; Chomps and Chomps Jr., sharks; Clambos, clams who spit pearls; Choctopuses (Choctopi?), who spin really fast and chase you; and Squidges, squids who dart around really fast. None offer up much in terms of moveset.

Of course, we have a selection of bosses that Donkey and Diddy have to deal with. These include: Very Gnawty, basically just a really big Gnawty; Master Necky, a really big Necky who spits nuts and pecks at you; Queen B, a really big Zinger who will try to sting you; Really Gnawty, Very Gnawty all over again; Dumb Drum, an . . . oil drum that hops around and spits out enemies; and Master Necky Sr., the first Master Necky all over again.

The stages for this game are a bit difficult to categorize. They all appear as a set of stages within various worlds, but the themes of each world are loose at best, and most stages fall into general stereotypes across the board. Technically, you have Kongo Jungle, a jungle world, Monkey Mines, a cavernous world, Vine Valley, a forest world, Gorilla Glacier, an ice world, Kremcroc Industries, a factory world, Chimp Caverns, another cavernous world, and Gangplank Galleon, King K. Rool's pirate ship. Yet, the stages within these worlds tend to be a massive conglomeration of all these worlds, plus the game's iconic water levels. I think I'd be best served just including a basic stage to represent all of these.

And as for our items, of course we have barrels, and bananas, and coins, and rocket barrels, and tires, all of which could function very well in the role of items.

All right, let's see what we've got so far:

Characters:
Donkey Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels
Diddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels
Cranky Kong: walking stick, dynamite, hints
Candy Kong: save
Funky Kong: airplane
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, jump high, cannonballs
Kremlings/Kritter: walk forward, jump, ride minecart, Krusha (maybe his own), Klump (maybe his own)
Animal Buddies:
Rambi: charge forward, jump
Enguarde: swim, stab
Expresso: jump, run fast, glide
Winky: leap
Squawks: fly, flashlight

Bosses:
Very Gnawty
Master Necky
Queen B
Really Gnawty
Dumb Drum
Master Necky Sr.

Stages:
Jungle Level
Forest/Trees Level
Mine/Cave Level
Underwater Level
Snow Level
Factory Level
Gangplank Galleon

Items:
Barrels
Barrel Cannons
Bananas
Banana Coins
Tires

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover Donkey Kong Country 2!

Smash Universe Roster, Updated

SUPER SMASH BROS. UNIVERSE

1. Mario****
2. Luigi***
3. Koopa Troopa***
3e. Dry Bones**
4. Goomba***
5. Piranha Plant***
6. Boo***
6e. King Boo
7. Princess Peach**
8. Toad**
8e. Toadette
9. Yoshi**
10. Bowser**
10e. Dry Bowser
11. Lakitu & Spinies**
12. Hammer Bro**
13. Chargin' Chuck**
14. Kamek**
15. Pauline*
16. Shy Guy*
17. The Koopalings*
18. Boom Boom*
18e. Pom Pom
19. Rosalina & Luma*
20. Bowser Jr.*
21. Shadow Mario
22. Blooper*
23. Monty Mole*
24. Petey Piranha*
25. Donkey Kong
26. Donkey Kong Jr.
27. Stanley the Bugman
28. Wart
29. Birdo
30. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
31. Cappy
32. Pianta
33. Honeybee
34. The Broodals
35. Princess Daisy
36. Wario
37. Tatanga
38. Captain Syrup
39. Fursuit Mario
40. Sprixie Princess

*Any character with a revision was moved up in the roster.
**Asterisks by a character's name indicate the number of revisions that they have had.

Thanks for reading! Now, let's move on to the mainline Donkey Kong games, starting with Donkey Kong Country!

Character Sheet: Sprixie Princess (New Series)

SPRIXIE PRINCESS

Settle in, folks, we've got a lot of revisions to get through for this one. The "New" series featured most of the series favorites, almost all of which have been included here already and most of them brought at least something new to the table. In fact, we only have four new characters to include this time. They are:

1. Mario (Revision 4)
2. Luigi (Revision 3)
3. Koopa Troopa (Revision 3)
3e. Dry Bones (Revision 2)
4. Goomba (Revision 3)
5. Piranha Plant (Revision 3)
6. Boo (Revision 3)
8. Princess Peach (Revision 2)
9. Toad (Revision 2)
10. Yoshi (Revision 2)
11. Bowser (Revision 2)
13. Lakitu & Spinies (Revision 2)
14. Hammer Bro (Revision 2)
15. Chargin' Chuck (Revision 2)
16. Kamek (Name change, Revision 2)
20. The Koopalings (Revision 1)
22. Boom Boom (Revision 1)
25. Rosalina & Luma (Revision 1)
27. Bowser Jr. (Revision 1)
30. Blooper (Revision 1)
31. Monty Mole (Revision 1)
33. Petey Piranha (Revision 1)
11e. Dry Bowser
22e. Pom Pom
39. Fursuit Mario
40. Sprixie Princess

Well, here's a surprise. Sprixies were not a set of characters I had planned on including, but as with Chargin' Chuck and the Honeybees, they made their case, and I can't simply say no. Not only can they function as reference characters for Super Mario 3D World's unique mechanics (especially given their supplying of every major item featured in the game, in the opening cutscene), the Sprixies also wielded hammers and wrenches, showed a propensity for fixing things, including the clear pipes common in the game and rocketships, they also controlled various cannons and warp blocks used to transport Mario to places, and could train Plessie, the friendly dinosaur ridden by our heroes at various points. And of course, the bottle used to contain them could be made good use of as well.

So, all that said, here is their moveset!

Standard B: Bottle
The Sprixie will whip out a giant bottle and catch an enemy inside it, trapping them for a brief moment inside of it. This move will function similarly to Yoshi's, Kirby's, or King Dedede's Standard B's. Eventually the opponent will break out.

Side B: Bubble Cannon
This one was a little tricky, considering there were several possibilities, but none that particularly stood out as the best. I figured their hammers and wrenches would simply act as their base weapons and thus take up most of the A moves and so on. I eventually settled on this one. One of the cannons used to shoot Mario will pop up and fire straight forward, capturing any in its path in a bubble and carrying them some distance before popping.

Up B: Clear Pipe Cannon
The Sprixie will quickly build one of those clear pipe cannons that launch you straight up into the air and then shoot herself through it. The cannon will linger for a bit and will launch any other characters that end up inside it.

Down B: Stamp
The Sprixie will pull out one of the collectible stamps frequent throughout 3D World, and stick the nearest opponent with it, which will hold fast for a second before peeling away, doing moderate damage. If you pause and look closely at the victim, you can see one of the stamps from the game printed onto their features.

Final Smash: Plessie
While this one was iffy, I felt Plessie worked best here. Either in a cutscene or just on screen, the Sprixie will hop onto Plessie's back who will then slide on its belly and slam into any opponents in its path.

Entrance: The Sprixie will pop out of a clear pipe leading onto the stage.

Taunt: Waving her hammer or wrench around, ringing a super bell, creating a double of herself, so on.

Thanks for reading! Now that we're finally finished, let's upgrade our roster!

Character Sheet: Fursuit Mario (New Series)

FURSUIT MARIO

Settle in, folks, we've got a lot of revisions to get through for this one. The "New" series featured most of the series favorites, almost all of which have been included here already and most of them brought at least something new to the table. In fact, we only have four new characters to include this time. They are:

1. Mario (Revision 4)
2. Luigi (Revision 3)
3. Koopa Troopa (Revision 3)
3e. Dry Bones (Revision 2)
4. Goomba (Revision 3)
5. Piranha Plant (Revision 3)
6. Boo (Revision 3)
8. Princess Peach (Revision 2)
9. Toad (Revision 2)
10. Yoshi (Revision 2)
11. Bowser (Revision 2)
13. Lakitu & Spinies (Revision 2)
14. Hammer Bro (Revision 2)
15. Chargin' Chuck (Revision 2)
16. Kamek (Name change, Revision 2)
20. The Koopalings (Revision 1)
22. Boom Boom (Revision 1)
25. Rosalina & Luma (Revision 1)
27. Bowser Jr. (Revision 1)
30. Blooper (Revision 1)
31. Monty Mole (Revision 1)
33. Petey Piranha (Revision 1)
11e. Dry Bowser
22e. Pom Pom
39. Fursuit Mario
40. Sprixie Princess

Fursuits, or animal-based powerups have been a thing in the Super Mario Bros. series ever since Super Mario Bros. 3, specifically featuring Raccoon Mario, Tanooki Mario, and Frog Mario. Later versions also included the Bunny Ears from Super Mario Land 2, Penguin Mario from Super Mario Bros. Wii, Bee Mario from Super Mario Galaxy, the return of Raccoon and Tanooki Mario in New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario 3D Land (with a Fox variant for Luigi), Flying Squirrel Mario in New Super Mario Bros. U, and a Cat Form for all player characters in Super Mario 3D World.

While some forms, like the Frog, Penguin, or Bee suits, had their own special purposes, almost all of the others functioned on the same basic principal: they had a tail that they could flick enemies with and they could fly. There were a few variations (such as Tanooki Mario's ability to turn into a statue), but for the most part many of these were more or less the same. With their heavy prevalence in the New series of games, I felt it the most appropriate time to separate them fully from Mario into their own character. My base concept for it is that the first four color swaps feature Tanooki Mario, Raccoon Mario, Squirrel Mario, and Cat Mario; with either a single color swap for each, single color swaps but of different characters (such as Fox Luigi and Cat Peach), or Frog, Penguin, Bee, and Bunny represented. As those last four vary heavily from the main fursuits, I'm leaning least toward that last one. Either way, here we go!

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Tail Flip
This is the most common move shared between the main fursuits, so of course it had to be represented.

Side B: Claw
This one represents Cat Mario most of all and is reminiscent of Diddy Kong's current Side B. Fursuit Mario will launch himself forward, latching onto either an opponent or a wall and not letting go. If attached to an opponent, Mario will slash at their face, but if attached to a wall, he can climb up or down it.

Up B: Fly
Again a common feature among all of these. Admittedly, Tanooki and Raccoon's version is more of a constant up-drift, while the Squirrel and Cat version is more of a glide, I image the move would work more like the Tanooki/Raccoon version, carrying the character up into the air.

Down B: Statue
After floating into the air a bit, Fursuit Mario can transform himself into a statue and drop like a rock onto an enemy's head, similiar to Kirby's Down B.

Final Smash: P-Wing
This one is based on the P-Wing and other, um, sympathy items the game provides you with after failing one too many times. Depending on the fursuit Mario is wearing, the suit will transform into its super form and P-Wings will sprout out of his back, making him invincible and allowing him to fly around the stage attacking people. I imagine it would look similar to Sonic's final smash.

Taunt: Maybe turning into a statue really quick, flipping his tail around, making his animal noise similar to how they meow in 3D World.

Entrance: Mario catches a leaf/acorn/bell and transforms into his fursuit.

Thanks for reading! Next up, we cover the surprise inclusion this time around, Sprixie Princess!

Character Sheet: Pom Pom (New Series)

POM POM

Settle in, folks, we've got a lot of revisions to get through for this one. The "New" series featured most of the series favorites, almost all of which have been included here already and most of them brought at least something new to the table. In fact, we only have four new characters to include this time. They are:

1. Mario (Revision 4)
2. Luigi (Revision 3)
3. Koopa Troopa (Revision 3)
3e. Dry Bones (Revision 2)
4. Goomba (Revision 3)
5. Piranha Plant (Revision 3)
6. Boo (Revision 3)
8. Princess Peach (Revision 2)
9. Toad (Revision 2)
10. Yoshi (Revision 2)
11. Bowser (Revision 2)
13. Lakitu & Spinies (Revision 2)
14. Hammer Bro (Revision 2)
15. Chargin' Chuck (Revision 2)
16. Kamek (Name change, Revision 2)
20. The Koopalings (Revision 1)
22. Boom Boom (Revision 1)
25. Rosalina & Luma (Revision 1)
27. Bowser Jr. (Revision 1)
30. Blooper (Revision 1)
31. Monty Mole (Revision 1)
33. Petey Piranha (Revision 1)
11e. Dry Bowser
22e. Pom Pom
39. Fursuit Mario
40. Sprixie Princess

Well, we already talked about this yesterday. Pom Pom is kind of in a tentative state, where I'm not entirely certain whether she should be a color swap or an echo fighter. For now, I am leaving her as an echo fighter, and we'll see what the future holds.

Pom Pom was introduced as a female variant of Boom Boom and appeared in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World, alternating boss duties with Boom Boom and occasionally tag-teaming with him. Both had a tendency toward brute strength and bouncing around inside their shells when hit, though Pom Pom introduced both a boomerang and a shuriken into the mix, both as throwing weapons. Not too much variance to make either fully distinct, but still enough to shake up their moveset a little.

Here is her moveset:

Standard B: Spinning Punch
The same as Boom Boom's.

Side B: Shuriken

The same as well, though it does occur to me that Boom Boom might wield the boomerang, while Pom Pom wields the Shuriken, just to shake things up.

Up B: Shell Slam

Based on her movement in 3D World, she will tuck into her shell, spin up into the air, and slam back down.

Down B: Spikes

Still the same.

Final Smash: Tag Team Bop

I suppose they can both support each other. Boom Boom will appear and they will pummel their opponents together.

Entrance: She will slam down from above.

Taunts: Maybe her own version of the angry stomp.

Next up: Let's introduce the first of our two brand-new characters, though kinda not a new character, Fursuit Mario.

Character Sheet: Dry Bowser (New Series)

DRY BOWSER

Settle in, folks, we've got a lot of revisions to get through for this one. The "New" series featured most of the series favorites, almost all of which have been included here already and most of them brought at least something new to the table. In fact, we only have four new characters to include this time. They are:

1. Mario (Revision 4)
2. Luigi (Revision 3)
3. Koopa Troopa (Revision 3)
3e. Dry Bones (Revision 2)
4. Goomba (Revision 3)
5. Piranha Plant (Revision 3)
6. Boo (Revision 3)
8. Princess Peach (Revision 2)
9. Toad (Revision 2)
10. Yoshi (Revision 2)
11. Bowser (Revision 2)
13. Lakitu & Spinies (Revision 2)
14. Hammer Bro (Revision 2)
15. Chargin' Chuck (Revision 2)
16. Kamek (Name change, Revision 2)
20. The Koopalings (Revision 1)
22. Boom Boom (Revision 1)
25. Rosalina & Luma (Revision 1)
27. Bowser Jr. (Revision 1)
30. Blooper (Revision 1)
31. Monty Mole (Revision 1)
33. Petey Piranha (Revision 1)
11e. Dry Bowser
22e. Pom Pom
39. Fursuit Mario
40. Sprixie Princess

I guess it's time to truly sit down and consider how I approach echo fighters and color swaps. Up until now, things had been pretty clear cut, as Toadette, Dry Bones, and King Boo were all very clearly distinct from their base counterparts, and those characters who were color swaps of one another came as a group set, like the Koopalings or the Broodals, and unless I wanted to introduce the premise of multi-echoes and how that would work, it was primarily the main feasible option and it worked. There was no reason to consider any method otherwise.

But this time around, we were introduced to two characters who feel sort of as though they don't quite fit either. They are distinct from their counterparts in a way, but they don't feel . . . distinct enough to warrant a whole extra fighter, if you get what I'm saying. But at the same time, it kinda feels like a slap in the face to the characters to relegate them to color swap status (I mean, who really likes the whole Olimar and Alph setup anyway), but we don't have that problem with the Koopalings or the Broodals, so what do we do?

I tested the waters and put a poll out on DeviantArt asking whether or not Pom Pom was preferred as an echo or a color swap. The results were . . . inconclusive. A complete fifty-fifty. So, that's kind of a bust. So I had to sit down and think about the situation. What exactly was the difference between a color swap and an echo fighter? Really, at the end of the day, they are both still based on the character model of the original with only moderate changes to their stats more than anything. From an aesthetic standpoint, it only means more alternate colors for the Echoes than for the Color Swaps. It seems as though the difference so far, really has mostly been the number of characters that are too close to each other to be fully distinct. In the case of the Koopalings and the Broodals, we are dealing with seven whole characters and four (or five) whole characters to deal with, and I'd rather not start listing characters as 24, 24e, 24ee, 24eee, 24eeeeeeeeeeeeeee . . . Whereas with Toad, Koopa, and Boo, they only really had one other person, so an echo was easy. But those echoes are their own distinct characters: Toadette has grown and evolved away from Toad as a character, Dry Bones have always been distinct, and King Boo is very much a distinct character from your everyday run of the mill Boos. What has Pom Pom ever been but "lady" Boom Boom? Dry Bowser literally is just Bowser. Literally the same character. But . . . FLUDD Mario is the same character as Mario, as is Fursuit Mario, and Paper Mario, and Doctor Mario, and Baby Mario, and whatever other version of the character may come around.

So, I don't know. I don't feel entirely comfortable making them full echoes, but I also don't feel comfortable tucking them away as color swaps. I am going to leave them as echoes for now, but if it suits you to consider them as only color swaps, please do. If it pleases you to consider them echoes, also, please do. We will see what the future holds. Thanks for reading.

Here is the moveset for the echo, Dry Bowser:

Standard B: Fire Breath

Pretty much the same as Bowser's.

Side B: Bony Boulders

Dry Bowser will chuck a boulder, the same way Bowser does, but I think this version should be made up of a bunch of bones crunched together into a ball.

Up B: Shell Spin

Dry Bowser will tuck into his shell and spin much as Bowser does.

Down B: Slam Down

Dry Bowser will also slam down, making a shockwave, but unlike Bowser, he will fall apart momentarily due to the impact.

Final Smash: Giant Dry Bowser

Much like Bowser's final fight, this one will likewise be patterned after the New Super Mario Bros. Wii fight.

Entrance: Bowser's skeleton will be lying on the ground before coming together again.

Taunts: Shaking so that his bones shift around. (I'm pretty sure I've seen that animation).

Next up: Let's do the same for Pom Pom.